Meeting Buyers

Should you opt to sell your car privately, you are going to have to meet and greet potential buyers to enable them to check out the car and test-drive it.

You will need to be aware of your own personal safety and the security of your car. Should you feel at all vulnerable, make sure you have a relative or friend with you at the time a prospective buyer comes round.

It is best for both parties to meet during daylight hours so that the potential buyer has a good opportunity to thoroughly examine the car and so that you do not have to deal with strangers in the dark.

Make sure that the buyer has a minimum of third-party insurance cover. (Should the buyer have comprehensive cover on his/her own car, he/she will have third-party cover on your car).

On the other hand, you can alter your policy so that any driver is covered to drive your car during the selling process.

Make sure that you ask prospective buyers to produce their driving licence and note the licence number.

Inform the person test driving your car that any speeding fines incurred on the drive is totally his/her responsibility.

Never permit a prospective buyer to drive your car without you. Place yourself in the passenger seat when it comes to the test drive and give the potential buyer the keys.

Give the prospective buyer the opportunity to drive on multiple surfaces and for a fair amount of time, say a minimum of 30 minutes. This amount of time will give the buyer a good amount of time to get a feel for the car. Should you try and rush through you will appear to have something to hide.